The Werewolf Whisperer (The Werewolf Whisperer Series Book 1) (32 page)

Xochi
blinked away her motion sickness.

"Base,
this is Alpha Leader, over."

"Go
ahead, Alpha Leader," Lefty responded.

"We're
in position."

"Copy
that. Fence coming down."

With
amazing dexterity, Lefty's hand flew over the keyboard, rapidly typing in a
series of cryptic numbers and symbols. A few moments later, the security gate
deactivated.

The
kid's good.

"Alpha
Leader, fence is clear," Lefty announced.

"Roger
that. Bravo Team, this is Alpha Leader. Move out."

Xochitl
watched the cameras intently. Vern and Mick were first through the fence,
followed by Bravo Team. Several cars were parked in the lot between the fence
and the pound entrance. Vern stopped halfway to the front of the building and
knelt behind an SUV. Vern looked over to Bob and Prez, his hand motioning in
front of the camera for Bravo Team to hold.

"Alpha
Leader, west side clear," Bob's voice came over the mic.

"Hold,"
Vern responded. "Base, how's it looking on the inside?" Vern asked
Lefty.

Lefty
hit a key, switching the view on the computer screen to show long corridors
with doors leading into various rooms. Even with Ames' information about light
security, the interior of the building appeared strangely deserted.

This
doesn't feel right.
Where
is everyone?

The
computer screen switched again to show a large, bright room. In the center of
the room, a woman, half-dressed in a yellow biohazard suit, fiddled with the
straps of a gas mask. Two men in lab coats hunched over a computer stationed on
a stainless steel table crowded with laboratory equipment.

"Corridor's
clear. But there are three civilians in lab room five," Lefty said into
his mic.

"I
thought there'd be more security," Xochitl whispered.

Lefty
switched the computer screen once more, displaying a room with television
monitors along the wall and two men sitting in front of them.

Security headquarters.

The
men were laughing and drinking coffee, oblivious to the four silhouettes
crouched behind cars in the parking lot.

Xochitl
sucked in a nervous breath.

"No
hay pedo. Mira." Lefty typed away on his new toy.

If
Xochitl hadn't been so focused on the screen, she would have missed the slight
waver of the television monitors in the room. Where once they had shown Alpha
and Bravo Teams outside the facility, now all they showed were cars in the
parking lot.

"Compliments
of Ames," Lefty muttered to her before speaking into his mic. "Loop
feed initiated. You're good to go, Alpha Leader."

"Roger
that," Vern responded.

Once
again, Alpha and Bravo Teams' cameras were on screen. Vern's hand motioned for
Bravo Team to move forward.

Their
tranq guns aimed, Bob and Prez scurried toward the front doors.

Reaching
the entrance first, Prez looked through a side window and immediately turned
his view to Bob, throwing up a fist to halt him. "Base, Tango heading this
way."

"Copy
that." Lefty switched the screen to Bravo Team's cameras and the foyer of
the building. "Stand by."

A
rotund man dressed in a security uniform waddled toward the main entrance. Stopping
at the door, he unclipped his cell, dialed and pushed on the lever.

"Tango
coming out," Lefty whispered into his mic.

Xochitl's
heart raced as she watched the security guard open the door, his profile coming
into view on Prez's camera.

"Hi
babe, call me when you—"

In
one swift motion, Prez raised his gun, shot the dart and pulled the incapacitated
guard away from the door — with barely a sound.

Bob
moved in, snatched the dropped cell phone from the pavement and hoisted the
guard's legs. "Oof," he grunted.

"Why
do we always get the flab asses?" Prez complained.

Bravo
Team hauled the guard behind a dark colored sedan and dropped him on the
ground. They checked their surroundings once more before moving back into
position by the front door.

"Tango
down. Bravo Team in position," Bob said.

"Copy
that, Bravo Leader," Vern replied. "We're moving to you." Vern
motioned to Mick, and the two men bolted for the building entrance.

"¡Híjole!"
Xochitl mumbled.

"Todo
bien." Lefty smiled.

"Hey!"
Prez's voice came over his mic. "I snagged the guy's access card."
His hand came into view as he passed the card to Vern.

"You
doing my job now, Prez?" Lefty asked.

"Someone's
got to," Prez shot back.

"Quiet,"
Vern said and swiped the key card on the security panel.

Xochitl
heard a click and saw Vern jerk the door open. Gun raised, Vern pivoted his
body left then right, checking the area. He motioned for his men to follow.

"Base,
where to?" Vern asked. "Over."

Lefty
pulled up the building schematics. Xochitl noticed a large area that reminded
her of the warehouse where Memo had imprisoned her.

That's gotta be where they're keeping
Miguel.

"There."
She pointed to the spot. Lefty nodded.

"Alpha
Leader," Lefty relayed. "There's a large room on the left at the end
of the corridor. Looks good for housing fifty Weres."

"Copy,
Base," Vern said. "Locate the main office."

Main
office? What about Miguel?

As
Lefty searched for an office, Xochitl scanned the computer screen, looking for
any sign of her brother. Nothing but bright laboratories equipped with
state-of-the-art scientific machinery flashed by.

Who's
running this joint? Frankenstein?

Lefty
stopped the slide show of rooms on a door designated with the placard
Dr.
Lynn Weisman
.

"Alpha
Leader. I've got the office of a Doctor Lynn Weisman. Might be the person in
charge. It's to the east of the main corridor. Last door on the right,"
Lefty said.

"Copy
that," Vern replied. "Bravo Team, you check out the west room. We're
on the right. Base unlock the door when we arrive."

"Roger,
Alpha Leader," Lefty and Bravo Team replied.

The
two teams made their way down the long hallway with rapid efficiency. Dizzy
once again, Xochi wasn't sure if the cause was the jarring camera motions or
the computer split screen.

Or maybe it's because I've been sidelined
while someone else does my job.

Xochi
leaned over the Humvee, rested her forehead on the hood and clasped her hands
behind her neck.

"You
okay?" Lefty asked.

Xochitl
nodded. "Anything yet?"

"Just
a lot of numbered doors...Hold on a sec. What's that? That's not on the
schematic."

Xochitl
popped up her head. Vern and Mick were moving down the hall, methodically
checking each door before proceeding forward.

"What?"
She searched the screen, trying to see what Lefty was seeing.

"There."
Lefty switched to a camera angle at the farthest point from Alpha Team's
position and zoomed in. "See it?"

"The
wall?" Xochi asked.

"Not
a wall. A door," Lefty said. "Look on the floor."

Xochitl
focused on the floor in front of the not wall.

"See."
Lefty pointed to the screen. "The light changed direction, reflected off
something. That's a shadow. Someone's moving behind that 'wall.' I'm sure of
it."

Xochitl
waited a moment. The light flickered. Something moved, casting a fragmented
shadow across the floor.

"It'd
have to be several inches thick, right?" She turned to Lefty.

"Yeah.
Probably reinforced steel too."

"What
do they got behind that thing?" she asked. "King Kong?"

"Come
again?" Vern's voice broke in.

"Sorry,
Alpha Leader." Lefty brought Vern's camera back on screen.

Alpha
Team was approaching Weisman's office.

"Found
some kind of façade at the end of the corridor," Lefty continued. "It's
not on the original plans for the building."

"Know
what's behind it?" Vern asked.

"Not
sure. But someone or something's there."

"Copy."

Xochi
followed Vern's sightline as his camera rotated bringing Mick into view. Across
the corridor from Vern, Mick rose from a crouched position to look through a
small window near the top of the door.

Mick's
camera panned the inside of a stark, white room. Void of people, only large
glass cabinets, stocked with vials of liquid, lined the back wall.

"Last
room. All clear," Mick said.

"Copy.
Go check out Lefty's fake wall," Vern said.

Xochitl
glanced at Vern's camera as he motioned for Mick to move forward down the hall.

"Roger
that," Mick replied.

"Base,
I'm at Weisman's office," Vern said.

"Copy,
Alpha Leader." Lefty hit the command key, and a buzz came over the coms.

Vern
entered Weisman's office. The spill of light from the hall lent minimal
visibility to the room. As Vern moved about the space, Xochitl could only make
out two chairs positioned in front of a large wooden desk.

Her
uncle eased behind the desk and switched on a lamp. "That's better."

Vern's
hand came into view. He held a small digital camera. He sifted through papers
and files and rummaged through drawers, taking pictures of every document and
letter he could find. Off to the side, Weisman's laptop dinged and the screen
flashed. Lefty had started his hack.

They
were working so fast, Xochitl couldn't discern much from the various documents.
Virus
,
bioengineering
and
chip
were the only terms she
recognized.

"Base,
we're at the west door," Bob's voice came over his mic. "How we
lookin'?"

Lefty
brought Bravo Team's cameras back up.

"Stand
by," Lefty replied, as he tried to find the security feed.

"Well?"
Prez pressed.

Xochitl
glanced at Lefty. His face was screwed up with concern as he focused on his
computer.

"Shit,"
Lefty mumbled.

"What?"
Bob, Prez and Xochi said in unison.

"Bravo
Leader, we have a problem." Lefty's voice rose in pitch.

That's not good.

"Go
ahead Base," Bob said.

"Seems
there are no security cameras in that area. You're going in blind." Lefty
wiped the perspiration from his brow with his sleeve.

"Fuck!"
Prez spat. "So much for controlling their shits, Lefty."

"Enough,"
Vern's voice broke in. "Bravo Leader, proceed with caution. We'll head
your way in a minute. Almost done here."

"Roger
that, Alpha Leader," Bob replied.

"Stay
frosty, boys," Mick added.

Xochitl
chewed on her fingernail as she waited for Bob and Prez to enter the
westernmost room. Prez swiped the key card, and a muted buzz sounded indicating
it was unlocked. Gun raised, Prez leaned into the door and pushed it ajar. He
moved through the doorway, turning right then left to check his surroundings.

"Clear,"
Prez whispered.

Bob,
his gun at the ready, slid in behind Prez and began looking around.

In
stark contrast to the bright fluorescents in the corridor, soft illumination cast
down on the men from above. The room's vastness was obvious, despite the dim
lighting.

Lefty
whistled. "It's gotta span half a football field."

"And
almost as wide." Xochi chewed on her lip.

Just like Memo's warehouse, only bigger.

The
men slowly made their way through the room, their cameras panning about the
space.

"Are
you getting this, Base?" Prez asked.

"Sure
am," Lefty responded. "What the…?"

On
Prez's camera feed, two continuous rows of enormous glass enclosures lined
either side of the room and ascended nearly to the building rafters.

Prez's
hand moved to touch a cage. "Thick plexiglass. Got to go in ten feet by
the look of this one." He continued to scan the container. At its base was
a rectangular sliding door large enough for a food tray to pass through. Prez
shone his mag light into the enclosure. "Empty."

"Not
mine," Bob's voice came over his mic.

Xochitl
switched back to Bob's feed as Lefty tried to zoom in for a clearer look.

"Do
you see that?" Bob's flashlight lit up the glass cage.